EV ZLX 12P

I use these speakers in a variety of applications - main speakers in rooms up to about 150 people for DJ's, vocalists and presentations, and also as monitors for bands, vocalists and dance productions. After using them for a few years, I'm very happy with how they have performed, and my clients are happy too.

Appearance - sometimes how a speaker looks can be as important as how it sounds, and these are good looking boxes. They look the part for conferences and weddings, etc. Additionally, the EV logo puts a smile on the face of the artists I work with before they even start the sound check!

Sound - great for the price, they sound as good as some more expensive speakers I've used. They do need a little eq when used as monitors, but this is to be expected. My clients regularly comment on how good they sound, particularly the DJ's.

Power - they're not the most powerful speakers on the market but as long as you're realistic about what to expect at this price point, they are very capable. I've used them as mains in rooms up to about 150 people and as monitors with 9 piece funky soul bands where they have performed admirably, but I feel this is about the limit. You may get more mileage out of them by combining them with subs.

Features - the built in mixer is handy if you just need a mic or background music for drinks receptions, etc. The easy to use DSP is pretty useful, with a selection of EQ presets. Be careful with the "club" setting though, as it significantly boosts the bass causing low end feedback in the mic which can be difficult to control with typical DJ mixers.

Build/reliability - these are nice and light which makes loading and setup a breeze even if you are on your own. Some online reviewers have raised concerns about the build quality of these speakers but that appears to have been from an early production run, and I've certainly not experienced such issues with any of mine. As for reliability, I have 4 of these which see use most weekends and have had zero problems after 2-3 years.

Conclusion - excellent speakers for the price, versatile and a joy to work with. Will be buying more of these in the future and would definitely recommend to others.